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Jessica Simpson’s new single, “A Public Affair,” is currently camped out at number 39 on the Billboard Top 40 chart, and it’s been steadily slipping since it was first released a few weeks ago. By the time next week’s charts are made public, there’s a good chance it will be nowhere to be found. And if you’ve had the misfortune of actually hearing the track, with its striking lack of infectious melodies or interesting beats, you’ll immediately recognize this as good news. Period. That people aren’t really enjoying at least this one shining example of bad art can only be seen as progress, right?

That’s how I feel, anyway, but when you think about it -- of all the successful singles Simpson has released, it’s not entirely clear why any of them (with the possible exception of “I Swear,” which was just timed perfectly with the sudden explosion of MTV’s “Newlyweds”) did as well as they did. So why, after the intense love affair the entire country shared with Simpson just a few short years ago, are people turning their backs on her now? Because they’ve finally realized she can’t sing? Unlikely. Because they’ve finally realized that her father is super, super creepy? I doubt it.

I think people are giving up on Jessica Simpson because they don’t know exactly what they’re supposed to make of her. Is she a singer? An actress? A spokesmodel? As a culture, we have a difficult time with celebrities who attempt to stray from the original schtick that made them celebrities in the first place. And while Simpson’s example is indicative of a complex new iteration of this phenomenon, there are many more that preceded her.

Take a look at all the actors who’ve tried their hands at being musicians. Russell Crowe’s horrendously titled "30 Odd Foot of Grunts," Keanu Reeves’ "Dogstar," Jared Leto’s "30 Seconds to Mars," Kevin Bacon’s sibling love-fest the "Bacon Brothers," and Billy Bob Thornton’s short-lived career as a solo country artist.

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